Firearm.



P. M. SLAWTBR.

PIRBABM.

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Frank M. Slaw'tef '5l/vi hause: 4

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F. M. SLAWTER.

FIBEABM. APPLIUATION'FILED SEPT. 4,1908.

Patented Aug'. 9,1910.

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F. M. SLAWTER.

FIREARM.

APPLIDATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1908.

Patented Aug. 9, 1910.

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F. M. SLAWTBR. FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 190B.

966,482'. Patented Aug. 9,1910.

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Frumh Mmwter Stimm. s

7UhUlliD STATES ENT FTQE.

FRANK IVI. SLAWTER, OF SEDALIA, COLORADO.

FIREARM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F RANK M. SLAw'rnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sedalia, in the county of Douglas, State of Colorado, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Firearms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to magazine firearms, and more particularly to one characterized by a sliding breech-block provided with means for carrying the shells from the magazine to the firing-chamber, and also having means for ejecting the shells from the latter. l

The object of the present invention is to provide in a firearm of this kind an improved magazine which is so located and constructed that it may be more readily charged, and also a novel mechanism for transferring the shells from the magazine to the ring chamber.

The invention also has for its object an improved ejector, `as well as a novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby the firearm will be shortened so that it may be used for cavalry service.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the firearm cocked, only so much of the firearm being shown as will suiiice to show the connection of the invention therewith. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in loading position. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of Fig. 1, a portion of the top plate being .broken away. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of the carrier. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of the firing bolt. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of the breech-block removed from the gun. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 1 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 denotes the stock of the firearm, 6 is the breech frame, and 7 is the barrel with its firing-chamber 8. The breech frame is formed with a vertical mortise 9 in which is mounted a rearwardly and upwardly sliding breech-block 10. In front of the breechblock and below the ring-chamber is located a magazine 11 containing the shells or car- Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 4, 1908.

Patented Aug. 9, 1910.

serial No. 451,650.

tridges 12. The rear wall 13'of the magazine extends across the front end of the mortise 9, and at its upper end, said wall is formed with an opening 14 which communicates with the mortise. Access to the magazine is had by a hinged bottom 15 which is held closed by a catch 16. On the bottom 15, inside the magazine, is a follower spring 17 on top of which the shells are placed, whereby they are fed upwardl in the magazine to be taken therefrom sing y by the mechanism to be presently described.

The mechanism for transferring the shells from the magazine 11 to the firing chamber 8 comprises a tray 1S pivotally mounted on the breech-block 10 and projecting from the front end thereof. The tray is mounted on a pair of bars 19 pivoted to the sides of the breech-block near the front end thereof, the sides of the block being recessed as indicated at 20 so that the bars may be Hush with the sides of the block and not interfere with its movement. The sides of the tray are turned up as indicated at 21 to prevent the shell from dropping off, and at the rear end of the shelf are spring lingers 22 to engage the usual groove 23 at the rear end of the shell, whereby the latter' will be securely held on the tray. At the front end of the bars 19 are laterally directed guide fingers 24 which travel in guide-grooves made in the side walls of the mortise 9. There are four of such grooves which are arranged in such a manner that the shelf will be properly guided toward the magazine and the firing chamber. Two of these grooves, indicated at 25 and 26 respectively, extend horizontally, the former extending in the direction of the firing chamber so as to guide the shell thereto, and the latter being in line with the opening 14 and extending therethrough into the magazine by being continued in the side walls thereof. The front end of the groove` 25 is a short distance behind the tiring chamber and is connected by a slanting groove 27 with the groove 26 immediately in rear of the opening 14. The end of the groove 26, outside the magazine, communicates by a slanting groove 28 with the rear end of groove 25. The grooves herein described are in both side walls of the mortise 9, and the pins 24 extend thereinto.

The mechanism for removing the shell from the firing chamber comprises a resilient extractor 29 carried by the front end of the breech-block 10, and engageable with the groove 23 of the shell whereby the latter' is withdrawn from the firing chamber when the block is slid rearwardly and upwardly from the mortise 9. The front end of the breech-block also carries a resilient ejector 3() which engages the rear end of the shell and throws the same forwardly away from the firearm when it issues from the firing chamber.

The breech-block is locked in the mortise 9 by a spring-latch 31 carried by said block and engageable with a notch 32 in the rear wall of the mortise. The latch has a finger piece 33 extending through a slot 34 to the outside of the block whereby the latch may be operated to release the block. Upon withdrawing the latch, the breech-block can be slid upwardly and rearwardly to operate the shell carrier and ejector.

0n the side walls of the mortise 9 are inclined guide grooves 35 in which work pins 36 and 36@L projecting from the sides of the block, for guiding the movement thereof. In the bottom of the block is a mortise 37 which extends to the rear end thereof and has in its side walls longitudinal guide grooves 38 into which extend flanges 39 projecting from opposite sides of a guide-block 40 pivoted at 41 to the top of the breech. These flanges enter the guide grooves when the breech-block is withdrawn from the mor-v tise, as shown in Fig. 2, and serve to guide the movementof said block. The front end wall of the mortise 37 is curved as indicated at 42 to form a cam surface the object of which will be presently described. The

grooves 35 are also formed with notches 43.

which are entered by the pins 36 when the breech-block is closed.

The r-ing-pin 44 is slidably mounted in a bore in the breech-block and communicates at its rear end with the mortise The bolt 45 for actuating the firing-pin is seated in a recess 46 in the stock and breech, and projects from the latter into the mortise 37 into position to engage the firing pin. Behind the bolt is a spring 47 for shooting it forward to actuate the firing pin. The bolt is provided with a Sear-spring 48 which may be formed integral therewith and is a resilient stem which projects forwardly and divergingly from the bolt into a longitudinal recess 49 made in the'breech 6. Said recess is reduced at its forward end, as indicated at 50, which forms a shoulder 51 against which the end of the spring 48 abuts when the bolt is cocked. Adjacent the shoulder, the breech has a hole 52 through which extends a linger 53 on the trigger 54. The trigger is a spring metal strip which is secured at one vend to the breech, and presses in a direction to return the finger 53 when the trigger is released. Upon pressing on the trigger the finger 53 pushes the spring 48 off the shoulder 51 and thereby releases the bolt 45 to actuate the firing pin 44. Wvhen the spring is disengaged from the shoulder as stated it flies into the reduced end 50of the recess. The bolt 45 is cocked when the breech-block is opened. By the outward movement of the block the cam surface 42 engages the end of the bolt 45 and pushes the same rearwardly until the spring 48 engages the shoulder 51, and upon closing the breechblock the gun is ready for firing. The pressure of the spring 48 is downwardly so that it will automatically engage with the shoulder 51 when the bolt is retracted, as stated.

The operation of the parts herein described is as follows: l/Vhen the breech-.block is closed the shell carrier 18 is on the inside of the magazine 11 and engages one of the shells therein. Upon pushing th-e breech block forwardly and downwardly the tray moves in a straight line to insert the shell into the iring-chambenrthe carrier in this movement being guided by the roove 25. Vhen the pins 24 are at theV front ends of the grooves 25, the shell extends partly into the firing-chamber and when the pins 24 travel downwardly in the grooves 27, the tray is disengaged from the shell and is guided by said grooves back into the magazine 11. When the tray is disengaged from the shell, as stated, the insertion of the shell into the firing-chamber is completed by the continued forward and downward movement of the breech-block, the front end thereof engaging the partly inserted shell and pushing the same into the tiring-chamber. /Vhen the breech-block is closed the fingers 29 and 30 engage the groove 23 and base of the shell, as shown in F ig. 1, so that when the breech-bloclr is again opened the shell will be extracted as already described. When the shell tray 18 enters the magazine it slides under the top shell therein and said shell is engaged by the parts 21 and 22, and when said shell is removed from the magazine by the carrier the spring 17 moves up the shells so that the next one will be engaged by the carrier when it again enters the magazine.

The breech-block carries a plate 55 which projects from the sides thereof when the block is open and serves as a hood to protect the marlsmans eye if a cap happens to explode prematurely. Above the inner' end of the ring pin the breech-block `has an opening closed by a glass plug 56 in order that the bolt may be inspected to see if it is cocked properly.

What is claimed is.

1. In a magazine gun the combinationA with a lock frame having upwardly and rearwardly inclined grooves in the opposed faces thereof and a. breech block slidably fitted in said lock frame; of a cartridge tray pivoted to the breech block and having lateral projections to enter the grooves of the lock frame, and insertible bodily into the magazine during the closing of the breech block.

2. In a. magazine gun, the combination with a lock frame having upwardly and rearwardly inclined grooves in the opposed faces thereof, of a breech -bloclr slidably fitted in said lock frame, and a cartridge tray movable with said breech block and having lateral projections to engage said grooves.

3. In a magazine gun, the combination with a lock frame, having upwardly and rearwardly inclined grooves in the opposed faces thereof, of a reciprocating breech block fitted in said lock frame, and a cartridge tray pivoted to one end of said breech block and having at one end lateral projections to engage said grooves.

4c. In a magazine gun, the combination with a lock frame, having on the opposed inner faces thereof upwardly and rearwardly inclined grooves the opposite ends of which communicate with horizontally disposed grooves, of a breech block slidably fitted in said lock frame, and a cartridge tray movable with said breech block and having lateral projections to engage said grooves.

5. In a gun the combination of a barrel provided at its rear end with a recess, a lock frame, a breech block slidably fitted in the lock frame, a spring extractor substantially horizontally disposed, having its rear end secured to the breech block and having a downwardly extending finger at its free front end, and a spring cartridge ejector substantially vertically disposed, having its lower end secured to the front side of the breech block and having its free upper end, formed to receive and engage the lower side of the cartridge rim.

6. In a gun, the combination with a barrel provided at its rear end with a recess a lock frame, and a breech block slidably fitted in the frame; of oppositely disposed resilient cartridge ejecting and extracting fingers fixedly secured at one end to the breech block and their free ends insertible into the recess of the barrel said fingers each having a lateral projection at one end to engage one side and the rear end of a cartridge when said breech block is closed.

7. In a firearm, an upwardly and rearwardly slidable breech block, a firing pin lcarried thereby, and a substantially Y- shaped plunger having one arm to engage said firing pin and its opposite arm to engage the trigger post.

8. In a gun, the combination with a lock frame, a trigger and a sliding breech block fitted in said frame; of a spring pressed and substantially Y-shaped plunger having one end in engagement with said breech block and adapted to be moved into cocked position by the opening of the latter.

9. In a gun, the combination with a lock frame, trigger and breech block, said breech block being interiorly provided with a cam surface, of al Y-shaped plunger having one end in engagement with said cam surface and adapted to be set into cocked position by engagement with the latter on the opening of said breech block.

10. In a gun, the combination with a trigger, a firing pin and a lock frame, of a breech block slidably fitted in said frame, and interiorly provided with a shoulder having a cam surface, a spring actuated and substantially Y-shaped plunger extending through said frame, one arm of which bears on the cam surface of said shoulder in such position that when the said breech block is 4moved outwardly, the opposite arm will be moved into engagement with said trigger and cocked.

1l. In a firearm, a mortised breech fra-me the side walls thereof having guide-grooves, a rearwardly sliding breech-block mounted in the mortise, a magazine in front of the breech-block, a cartridge carrier mounted on the breech-block for extracting a cartridge from the magazine when the block is slid rearward and for inserting the shell into the firing-chamber when the block is returned, and guide-pins on the carrier working in the aforesaid guide-grooves.

l2. In a firearm, a mortised breech frame the side walls thereof having guide-grooves, a rearwardly and upwardly sliding breechblock mounted in the mortise, a magazine in front of the breech-block and below the firing-chamber, a cartridge carrier pivoted to the breech-block, and guide -pins on the carrier engageable with the aforesaid grooves.

13. In a firearm, an upwardly and rearwardly sliding breech-block, a magazine in front of the same and below the firingchamber, a cartridge carrier pivoted to the breech-block and having guide-pins, and a mortised breech frame in which the breechblock works, the side walls of said mortise having grooves extending into the magazine and in the direction of the firing-chamber respectively, and rearwardly inclined grooves therebetween, the aforesaid guide pins working in said grooves.

14. In u firearm, an upwardly and rearwardly sliding breech-block, a rng pin carried thereby, a breech 11a-ving n longitudinal and shouldered recess, a bolt for operating the rng pin, a spring arm extending from the bolt and into the recess and engageable at its end With the shoulder for holding the bolt retracted, and means for disengagng the spring arm from said shoulder to release the bolt for actuating the 10 rng pin.

In testimony whereof, I afHX my signature, in presence of tWo Witnesses.

FRANK M. SLAWTER.

Vtnesses ALBERT W. MANHART, TI-IORWALD CHRISTENSEN. 

